REINCARNATION PARADISE

Hank flashed a fawning smile as he pushed open the office door.

"Boss, it's me, Hank."

Su Xiao followed closely behind him into the office.

"Oh, it's you, Hank. Good on you for not interrupting my fun. Now, what's this about?"

Seated in the office was a shirtless burly man. His shiny bald head and imposing aura made it clear that he wasn't someone to be trifled with.

"This is the new recruit, White Night, recommended by 'that person.' Here's the letter of recommendation."

The burly man glanced at Su Xiao, took the letter, casually skimmed through it, and then tore it up without a second thought.

"The original price was 200,000 Berries, but with big events coming up, the heat is on. The minimum now is 400,000 Berries."

Su Xiao maintained a polite smile. Despite feeling a strong urge to shoot this man and ask how much it really costs, he knew he had to play the long game.

Without saying a word, Su Xiao handed over 400,000 Berries. His straightforwardness caught the burly man's attention.

"Not bad, kid. You've got style. From now on, you're one of us in the Guard. Remember, you call me 'Boss' or 'Sir.'"

Su Xiao kept smiling, but there was something eerie about it.

"Of course, Boss."

With that, Su Xiao officially became a member of the Guard, bringing him a step closer to completing his mission to assassinate the king.

Meanwhile, Hank, who was standing by, stared fixedly at the ground, pretending he didn't see his superior take the bribe.

This small incident showed just how corrupt and chaotic the world of pirates could be. In this world, money could buy almost anything—even high-ranking positions. For Su Xiao, this was a good thing.

Berries meant little to him. His most pressing concern was time. Any problem that could be solved with money wasn't really a problem at all.

[Notification: The hunter has joined the Guard faction. A minor shift in the plot has occurred. World Source gained: 2.1%.]

After leaving the office, Su Xiao received the standard Guard issue: a uniform and a flintlock rifle.

In the armory, Su Xiao looked at the crude firearm in his hand and turned to Hank.

"Hank, can I choose a different weapon?"

Hank seemed hesitant.

"Well… these are standard issue supplies, I can't really…"

The hesitation in Hank's voice told Su Xiao everything. The man wanted a bribe.

Without a word, Su Xiao slipped 30,000 Berries into Hank's pocket, and the guard's attitude changed instantly, a smile spreading across his face.

"Well, since we're colleagues now, I suppose there's room for flexibility. You can pick any weapon you like, but only one. That's a hard rule I can't break."

Su Xiao set down the flintlock and scanned the armory. Soon, his eyes landed on a long blade.

The blade was over a meter long, about three centimeters wide, and had a slight curve to it. Though it wasn't as good as his usual weapon, it was still a decent sword.

"This one."

Su Xiao picked up the blade and sheathed it. As soon as he touched the weapon, a notification from Reincarnation Paradise appeared.

"Whoa, whoa, any other weapon is fine, but you can't take that sword." Hank's face turned cold as if the earlier bribe had never happened.

"What did you say?"

Su Xiao gripped the sword and glanced at Hank, cold light flashing in his eyes. Constantly giving in would only make others see him as weak and easy to manipulate.

Hank felt a chill down his spine when he met Su Xiao's gaze. This guy had killed before—probably many times.

A struggle showed on Hank's face. He was on the verge of confronting Su Xiao directly, but the sight of Su Xiao holding the blade made him hesitate.

"We're friends, Hank. Let's not worry about trivial things." Su Xiao said, pressing the sword hilt lightly against Hank's chest.

It was clear: Hank could either take the bribe and shut up, or Su Xiao would kill him on the spot. This sword was crucial to Su Xiao's mission, and he wasn't going to let go of it over a minor threat.

Su Xiao was confident that even if he killed Hank, the burly boss would turn a blind eye as long as the price was right.

"This will stay between us. Consider this sword a token of our friendship." Hank said, clapping Su Xiao on the shoulder with a grin, conceding defeat. The tense atmosphere in the armory dissipated.

"I only just arrived in the capital today, so I could use some help figuring things out. We'll be good friends, Hank."

Su Xiao sighed inwardly. If it was this hard to deal with just a low-level guard, what kind of enemies would he face when he got closer to the king?

But this sense of challenge made his heart race. The thrill of the hunt excited him, his battle instincts awakening.

The reason Su Xiao had been so determined to keep the sword was simple: when he touched it earlier, Reincarnation Paradise had provided some critical information.

[Dragon Flash acquired.]

[Dragon Flash (White-Rare)]

[Origin: One Piece World, Iron Furnace Blacksmith]

[Durability: 35/40 (-5 due to serious damage)]

[Attack Power: 5~16 (depending on the strength of the strike)]

[Requirements: 2 Strength points to wield, 5 Strength points for proficient use.]

[Rating: 10 (Note: White-grade equipment is rated from 1 to 10. Items rated 10 are marked 'Rare' and come with special attributes.)]

[Special Attribute: Dragon's Intimidation—while wielding this blade, you can intimidate enemies, lowering their morale.]

[Description: This was once the sword of Ryuma, the Dragon Flash, in his youth. Though damaged, it has been repaired. After Ryuma obtained the Black Blade, Shusui, this sword was left in his quarters. After Ryuma's death, it wasn't deemed worthy to be buried with him and eventually ended up in circulation. "Master, I'm starting to rust. Where are you? Please, wield me and slay the dragon!"]

[Price: 1100 Reincarnation Paradise Coins (This item can be taken out of the One Piece world).]

...

Ryuma was a legend, a true powerhouse of the One Piece world. Even the current world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, might not surpass him. How could the sword of such a warrior, even from his youth, be weak? Su Xiao suspected that if this Dragon Flash Blade hadn't been damaged, it might have been a green or even blue-grade weapon.

That's why Su Xiao had been willing to clash with Hank over it.

Thankfully, the confrontation didn't escalate, and their fragile "friendship" would last a little longer.

"You're lucky." Hank said with a grin. "That sword was confiscated from a group of pirates. Aside from me, hardly anyone knows it's a rare blade. If I were better with swords or if the rules didn't say you can only take one weapon, I'd have grabbed it myself."

Su Xiao just smiled and strapped the Dragon Flash Blade to his waist.

With a sword in hand, his combat abilities had significantly improved, giving him a sense of security.

"Let's go. There's big trouble coming in two days, and we'll all have our hands full." Hank said with a sigh, as if dreading something.

"What kind of trouble? Give me a heads-up so I can prepare."

"Two weeks from now, the Celestial Dragons are coming to inspect the Goa Kingdom. So in two days, we've been ordered to 'clean up' the Gray Terminal."

(End of Chapter)

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Translator's Note :- I am Not that familiar with a lot of the fictional worlds mentioned in the story. So if I make a mistake naming something please correct me by writing a paragraph comment on the mistake. Thank you.